friends and family, 

it was a good week, and transfers were surprising.  I'm staying in Nickolaiv..and training a new missionary!!  Sister Johnson is permanently moving to Kherson and will be there with an awesome sister.  Crazy!! I'm really surprised, i thought i was leaving for sure.  I very well could be here for the rest of my mission!  I'm excited and a little overwhelmed, but it will be good!! 

the updates:  so we met with our investigator Larissa in kherson and put her on baptismal date for the end of october.  who knew that meeting a nice old lady in a graveyard would end up wanting to get baptized!  she accepts everything and loves us, but we are a little questioning on if she really understands the seriousness of it. 

time will tell!! we had a miracle happen this week. so our "golden" investigator here in nickolaiv Ludmilla, has been MIA for the past few weeks.  but we stopped by and she was home, and told us how she had been sick-haha she says "i probably was sick because i must have done something disobedient to the gospel"-and she told us how she had been reading the conference ensign and such.  then she tells us how she went to her other church (it's called the new commadment or something) and she told us that she was sitting there and listening to the pastor, and realized that they weren't doing anything in accordance with the gospel. so then she thought to herself "i'm going to leave" haha and she left! and as she was leaving she told us "then i got a thought that said, you need to go to the church with the girls!" so then she asks, "can i come to church with you on sunday?" we of course said yes, and set a time to meet.  we stopped by another time later in the week but she wasn't home, so we were a little nervous for sunday morning. but we walked to her house, and she was waiting outside all ready to go!! and she brought her cute 5 year old grand-daughter with her! we almost cried, it was so amazing. and she loved church-took notes the whole time, commented, asked questions, and wasn't shy to get to know the members. and the members were great with her!! i have never had a church meeting with an investigator go so well.  we will probably set a date for baptism this week.  she is amazing!! i have never met someone more prepared than her.  it was such a tender mercy from the Lord and we were so happy.  sister johnson and I and 2 other girls from the branch sang a musical number "I am a child of God" and everyone loved it hahah.  

the work is moving forward and we are seeing blessings.  it will be a long road ahead of us with finding a lot more and searching for the elect, but I will try to do my best because the Lord has entrusted this part of His vineyard to us.  sometimes i don't know if i can do it or if this will be worth it or something, but the Lord qualifies who He calls and it's the last time that we will get to work in the "vineyard".  i love doing missionary work and preaching the gospel.  we get a lot of rejections every day, see sad things, but it's also wonderful and i know that it's an important work. i love you all and i'm thankful for your support!! i know the church is true and there is no other way in this life that we can obtain true happiness.  i love you all and the work moves forward!!

sister demille



Mama Luba and Amanda




Sis. J, Amanda, and Olga




Sis. J, Amanda, Olga, and Olga!!




The Shnirova Family



Vika and Amanda



The Branch Pres. and his Family



A cool Monument